Bovine power may greet some delayed OLPC laptops

The OLPC Project has suffered another production delay, making supplies …

The official launch of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Project's XO laptop has been pushed back after additional production delays. Production was originally expected to begin in this month, but will now start in early November.

In an interview with Reuters, OLPC chief technology officer Mary Lou Jepsen has stated that the delays were the result of "last-minute bugs" that have already been resolved.

This latest delay will have a negative impact on OLPC's Give One Get One (G1G1) initiative, which allows consumers in developed countries to obtain a single XO laptop by donating the cost of two XO laptops. The G1G1 initiative will still be rolled out in time for the holidays, but availability of XO laptop units will be limited as a result of the production delay. Jepsen encourages G1G1 consumers to order early, since the available units will move quickly.

The G1G1 program is seen as a change in strategy for OLPC that was made necessary because sales to governments have been slow. OLPC is also looking for handouts from major donors. In the wake of price hikes which have brought the cost of an XO laptop to $188, potential government buyers are unwilling to commit to purchasing XO laptops in bulk. OLPC is altering its approach to compensate for the tough sales environment and no longer expects participating governments to shell out for the previously-stated minimum of 1 million laptops.

Although OLPC is having difficulty making sales, there have been some positive changes lately. Some countries that have been playing hard-to-get have now reconsidered and are once again negotiating with OLPC. In India, for instance, where an education minister once referred to the laptops as "pedagogically suspect," OLPC has managed to get a pilot test program running and is now working with local governments in the country.

In related news, the OLPC project is considering the use of cows to provide power for the laptops in India. In a mailing list post, Arjun Sarwal of OLPC India describes how the cow-powered generator that is being developed by OLPC. "We plan to drive a dynamo (taken from an old Fiat) through a system of belts and pulleys using cows/cattle," wrote Sarwal. Citing the lack of water sources, consistent sunlight, or strong wind, Sarwal decided to use cattle, since they are present in great abundance in India. "The solution is of course not a one-for-all solution, but is an example of how locally available mechanisms can be leveraged to charge the laptops."

Despite delays and climbing prices, interest in the OLPC project remains high. It's unclear, however, whether or not the OLPC project will continue to look compelling as other low-cost mobile computing products begin to reach the market. The Asus Eee PC release, for instance, was officially announced earlier this month. Asus offers the subnotebook for as little as $299 and is already selling it in bulk to governments.